Page 37 of Doll Face

I’m supposed to meet my parents for dinner but besides that, I have nothing planned for the day. So I lie around on the beach, drink the day away, and swim in the sparkling, blue ocean. It’s even more beautiful than the California oceans I’m used to.

About halfway through the day, Kelly joins me on the beach. We order more cocktails and then head for the pool.

“Are you bummed Kenzie couldn’t join us?” she asks after a quick dip. She’s reading on her Kindle while I’m scrolling through my phone.

“Yeah, but I’m hoping she’ll be able to make the next trip.” It isn’t like we never go on vacation.

“That’s true, it’ll be weird with you bringing someone, though. Next time I’ll have to bring a friend or something,” she says with a shrug.

“Why not bring someone you’re seeing? Get back out there or something,” I tease, repeating the words she said to me before Kenzie came back into my life.

“Oh, hush. I’m in my single era, and I plan to soak up every moment of it,” she says, and I roll my eyes, sliding my pink heart shades down over my eyes. It’s what I had planned to do, too—well, kind of. I was focusing solely on my career until my girl stumbled back into my life, and the rest is history.

“Whatever you say,” I add with a shrug.

“So how’s everything with the board?” Kelly asks and I smile.

“Perfect, no longer an issue.” One of the board members dropped out, causing an open seat which meant we needed to hire someone new. What they didn’t expect was to find someone who was such a fan of the way I ran things that she refused to vote their way. So as long as she has a job, my job is safe.

“Ah, that’s a relief.” Kelly beams.

We head to dinner with Mom and Dad after changing into our dressy clothes for the night. Kelly insisted we dress up for the night even though I’m exhausted and just wanted to throw on a pair of shorts and a T-shirt. She even did my makeup for me and curled my hair. I can’t remember the last time the two of us were so dressed up for dinner, let alone a dinner with our parents.

“You girls look nice.” My dad smiles and greets us both with a kiss.

“I don’t know why we couldn’t just come here from the beach, but Kelly insisted,” I say with a shrug. She’s the baby of the family and usually gets everything she wants.

“Well, you look beautiful.” My mom grins and takes a sip of her drink.

We enjoy a quiet dinner at the Seaside Café, which has a wonderful view of the beach. I bet this spot is incredibly beautiful at sunset, but for some reason my parents wanted to have dinner earlier than usual. It’s barely five o’clock, and we’re almost finished eating already. I’ll definitely be taking advantage of room service later tonight.

“Want to join us for a walk on the beach?” my parents ask. I’m surprised. I know I don’t go on a ton of vacations with them anymore, but we usually just meet up for meals and do our own thing the rest of the time.

“I don’t know,” I say.

“Come on! It’ll be fun!” Kelly adds.

“You’re going?” Part of me will feel bad if I bail.

“I am.” She smiles as if we’re going on some big trip and not just a walk on the beach.

“Alright, well, if you’re all going, I guess I will,” I say with a shrug. I planned on watching the sunset on the beach tonight anyway.

We make our way to the beach, Kelly and I taking off our heels to walk in the sand. Our parents walk hand in hand in front of us. We’re following their lead but I’m about to stop them from walking when I spot someone standing near a big sign that reads: Marry Me. It’s written in big block letters, all lit up, and I don’t want my oblivious parents to get in the way of someone’s proposal.

“Wait …” I trail off as I look at the woman in the black dress. Is that…Kenzie…?

“Go!” Kelly pushes me slightly as a huge grin spreads on her face, and I almost fall headfirst into the sand. Wouldn’t that be a sight?

My parents and Kelly stick behind me as I walk closer and closer to Kenzie. She’s standing in the sand behind a pink runway she’s clearly created. It looks like it’s made out of fabric, and it leads a trail straight to where she’s standing. Pink rose petals are dispersed everywhere I look and light pink candles are flickering in the wind. A bottle of what I assume to be champagne rests in the sand. My eyes skim over the bottle and then take in my surroundings again. I gasp as my heart beats out of control. She’s pulled out all the stops.

“Barbie, I hope you’re okay with this surprise.” She beams as I get close enough.

“I’m shocked, honestly,” I tell her, feeling like I’m living in a dream. “What happened to your shoot?” I ask, suddenly concerned about her new job. I hope she didn’t put off work because of me again.

“I didn’t actually have one. It was just a lie to get me here to surprise you,” she explains. I step closer to her, and she smiles, taking my hands in hers.

“I love you, Barbara Ann, and I will continue loving you as long as our days allow. I lost you once, and I never plan on doing that again. I can’t imagine my life without you, and I hope you feel the same. We are Barbie and Ken-zie. Built for each other for life. Will you do me the incredible honor of being my wife?” Kenzie gets down on one knee, and my hands go to my mouth in shock. Even though I saw this coming once I spotted her, those words are unexpected.

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